Young outsider takes charge at Channel 4

The appointment of Luke Johnson was controversial but he now has three years to prove himself, writes Andrew Porter

LUKE JOHNSON knows who’s who in the media world — most of them dine in the industry “canteens”, like The Ivy and J Sheekey, that he owns.

And yet the new Channel 4 chairman, appointed last week, has been accused of not being a media man and therefore not the right man to lead the television station.

“Some people were saying, ‘Oh look, they have chosen someone who has not worked in media, what are they playing at?’ Well I guess it may dawn on them that maybe this is deliberate and they want someone with more of a business background,” he said.

Johnson was the surprise choice and, among some people in the City, a controversial one. He admits he thought he was “an outside bet” for the position. When he got the call from Lord Currie, chairman of Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator, he thought it was a courtesy ring